Just in: Juilliard professor is distanced amid US unrest

Just in: Juilliard professor is distanced amid US unrest

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norman lebrecht

June 02, 2020

[Editor’s note: The headline has been altered to reflect a comment below.]

Matti Raekallio, the first Finn to teach at Juilliard in New York, has announced he is returning home to the Sibelius Academy as professor of piano from August. He has been on the faculty at Juilliard for 13 years.

Raekallio, 65, told Finnish media: ‘It is especially pleasant to return to Finland. It is easier to live again in a country that has an identity, is rationally governed and has social values that ​​are in the right direction.’

UPDATE: In a comment on this post (below), Raekallio provides  a slightly different translation of his remarks – ‘It feels like a relief to live in a country I can identify with, a country with a rational leadership, and a country which has the right kinds of social values.’ He adds: ‘Nowhere did I say that I am “quitting Juilliard over US unrest.”’

In a second comment to the post, he adds that he will continue teaching at Juilliard remotely from Finland. This did not appear in the Finnish media reports that we cited. We have adjusted the headline accordingly.

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